Help and Support
Council’s message to beat COVID-19 in Urdu and other languages
To ensure the message reaches as many members of our community, Calderdale council have released the guidelines in Urdu and other languages.
Please download below:
Help beat Covid-19 in English with contacts for other languages
Find out more on www.calderdale.gov.uk/coronavirus
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Walk your way to wellbeing
There are many benefits in taking a brisk walk, even if only for ten minutes. Active Calderdale bring you the details for Local Groups and Inspiration in your way to better health. After all, even the biggest journey starts with a first step!
Walking – Benefits, Local Groups and Inspiration
A Starter for 10
A brisk ten minute walk each day can make a huge difference to your health and happiness:
- It gets the heart pumping faster,
- Can make you feel better, more energetic, improve your mood and meet new friends,
- Over time, walking can improve your fitness and make it easier to do everyday activities, like food shopping or gardening,
- and it helps to lower the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
It’s recommended that we should be aiming for 150 minutes of activity each week but 10 minutes a day can help, or try 10 minutes 2 or 3 times each day.
If you don’t feel up to a brisk walk then just getting out for a stroll is a great start. Whether you’re walking to work, getting out with the kids, walking to the shops or taking the dog to the park, walking can be simple to fit into your everyday life.
Walking Apps
Doing 10 minutes of brisk walking is a simple, achievable way to add more activity into your day. Start small and build up from there with the NHS Active10 App.
If you want something more advanced, the British Heart Foundation have together pulled 11 free walking apps for you to explore.
Local Walking Groups
Mixy Marchers are a local resident lead walk and talk group in Mixenden, who walk twice a week from Ash Green Lower Children’s Centre, meeting 5.50 for 6pm start. Check out Mixy Marchers FaceBook page for more details.
CREW usually offer free and friendly guided walks around Calderdale, including weekly walks from Keighly Road and Beechwood medical surgeries and Illingworth Moor Methodist Church. These are currently postponed but CREW are sharing self-guided walks – The Mount Tabor route could be started in Mixenden.
St Malachy’s Walk Group are not currently meeting but as restrictions lift , will be walking again from St Malachys Church on the first Sunday of each month at 12:30 and walk 3-5 miles with an option of a meal at the end. Contact Philip on 01422 259761 for more details.
Zoom Walk
Bored of walking on your own, but not ready to walk with others? Or want to help friends or family get outdoors more? Combine a walk and a catch up with a Zoom chat.
If you have a smartphone, download the Zoom App and set up a call with family or friends. For more help see Zoom FAQ’s. Make sure cameras are on.
In the top left of the screen is a switch camera icon which changes the screen from selfie mode (where it shows your face) to normal camera mode so you’ll all be able to see where you and everyone else is walking. This way you can all share interesting things on your stroll, it may be plants in your garden, views across the valley, or places which spark memories. Before you know it you’ll have had a nice walk and chat and probably learnt some things along the way.
Still need a bit of inspiration?
Living Streets #Try20Tips is for people working from home, workers still heading to their workplace and anyone else wanting to get a bit more active. #Try20 tips can help you find new ways to fit 20 minutes of walking to your day. Go on, spin the wheel and see you’re challenge for the day.
Or check out Walking in Calderdale and see the benefits and ideas Calderdale and Kirklees Recovery College have got from walking.
Stay Safe
Where ever you walk, please remember to keep yourself and others safe by following the local government restrictions.
Pension Credit and Free TV License to over 75
From August 1st 2020 the BBC has issued new rules regarding the provision of free TV license to those over 75.
In order to receive the free TV license, you need to be over 75 AND you or your partner must be in receipt of pension credit.
Those aged 75 or over are encouraged to check if they are eligible for pension credit. You can do so via the DWP website (gov.uk). You can find links for the Pension credit calculators below.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions:
New rules will be introduced limiting free TV licences to over-75s receiving Pension Credit on 1 August 2020. Pensioners are being urged to check if they’re eligible for Pension Credit.
The Pension Credit toolkit is an online tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit. More information is also available on GOV.UK as well as a free online calculator.
There is more information on the TV licensing website:
Harmony Hub, a new radio segment on Phoenix FM by Awakening Arts
Awakening Arts are launching Harmony Hub, a radio segment for people with dementia and older people self-isolating.
Before the Covid lockdown they ran a creative group at the Town Hall. They hope Harmony Hub will help bring back some of the sweet and simple human connections that are much missed.
The show will air on Phoenix Fm, our local community radio station on 96.7 FM. It will be on every Monday at 1pm, starting on the 17th of August. We also plan to release the episode as a podcast on our website www.awakeningarts.co.uk to increase accessibility.
The show will include some guided movement, listen to some poems and play some memorable songs, do an interview with an inspiring elder and have a guest slot with a local musician. We’ll be supplying a supporting handout which would provide a basis for conversation, memory sharing and some ideas and materials for a related art activity.
Here’s a link to some more information about the project on the Awakening Hearts website:
https://www.awakeningarts.co.uk/harmony-hub-support
They will be having regular check-ins with listeners, both individuals and care home residents, who will help guide and refine the show; making sure that it will best serve older residents at this time.
Awakening Arts are really keen to reach individuals self-isolating at home and have creativity and reflection packs to send out to people in their homes. If you would like to receive one of their art packs, please get in touch.
We need your help to beat COVID-19
Sadly, the COVID-19 crisis is far from over. We have seen this locally in the last two weeks in particular, with Calderdale being named a national ‘area of concern’ and new local restrictions coming into place from Friday 31 July, following a sustained increase in our infection rates during that period. We can all do our part by:
- Staying 2 metres apart
- Wearing a face covering when we are indoors where we might come into contact with others, such as public transport, taxis, shops, museums and places of worship
- Washing our hands regularly
- Staying away from crowds and avoid close contact with others such as handshakes and hugs
- Don’t visit, or have visitors from, other households
- Isolating for 10 days and get a test if we have symptoms
- Following the advice of the Test and Trace service if we have come into contact with someone with the virus.
We must all continue to work together as a whole community. We have done this before, we can do it again.
Find out more on www.calderdale.gov.uk/coronavirus
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Staying Well Telephone Befriending Service for adults in Calderdale
The Staying Well Hub Team would like to remind you that we are still here to listen to your concerns and help you make sense of what is happening. Whatever you are dealing with, we would like to hear from you because help is always at hand.
The telephone befriending service is how the Staying Well Team can be contacted during the COVID-19 period.
As face to face may not be an option for a while, this service offers a more personal contact to people struggling with isolation.
Staying Well Telephone Befriending Service
Isolation has never been such a concern and risk as it currently is but a chat with a Volunteer Befriender can make all the difference to someone who is lonely.
Right now we are working with volunteers to provide a Staying Well Telephone Befriending Service for adults in Calderdale who want someone to talk to regularly or just want to to hear a friendly voice. And we have volunteers from across Calderdale who can speak a variety of different languages!
This service aims to match clients with volunteers who have similar interests and common ground, aiming to offer a listening ear to those who feel isolated.
If this sounds like what you’re after, ring 01422 392767 to make a referral or visit the Staying Well website to fill out the referral form.
Individuals can refer themselves. In order to refer someone you will need their consent.
All volunteers must go through the safeguarding process run by Calderdale council and the entire process is closely monitored to ensure everyone’s safety.
For more information visit the Staying Well Telephone Befriending service page
CitizensAdvice Yorkshire & Humber Gambling Support YouTube Service
During the lockdown, the numbers of people using online gambling platforms have increased dramatically. To help support front line workers and volunteers, our Gambling Support Service Trainer has produced a range of ‘bite-size’ training videos to help support vulnerable clients.
These videos demonstrate the wider impact of gambling and the ways it affects everybody. The sessions cover the signs, symptoms and ways to positively intervene.
If you get the chance please take a few minutes to watch the videos and subscribe to the channel.
Please share the link with anyone you think may find it useful.
A project provided by Citizens Advice Calderdale to the communities across Yorkshire, Humberside & North Lincolnshire.
Disability Partnership Calderdale latest newsletter August 2020
The latest Disability Partnership Calderdale Newsletter is out.
You can find information about the new lockdown rules for Calderdale, in particular what you can and cannot do. There is more information on face masks, where to find them and links to the exception wearing cards for those who need one.
CREW Heart Support Group Bulletin – Walk around Mount Tabor
This week’s CREW Heart Support Group Bulletin features a self guided 5 mile walk around Mount Tabor. The walk is marked as Grade 2 (easy walk with gradual uphill grading) and should last approximately 2.5 hours.
Contact CREW Heart Support Group
email: crewpartners.hsg@gmail.com
The Pulse Bulletin, Latest CREW Heart Support Group newsletter
The Pulse Bulletin introduces their hub exercise instructors and walk leaders, has healthy recipes, walks and useful information.
This week, it’s about the compulsory face coverings in public transport and shops.
Download The Pulse Bulletin here
Contact CREW Heart Support Group
email: crewpartners.hsg@gmail.com
